Young Food Entrepreneur competition returns

Athlone Advertiser, Thu, Mar 01, 2018

Pictured are the 2017 competition winners - Mary Ellen Kelly and Roisin Kiely - from St Augustine’s College in County Waterford, with the founder of GIY, Michael Kelly, and Cully and Sully. Photo: Patrick Browne

GIY and Cully & Sully are on the search for Ireland’s next best young food entrepreneurs and are encouraging secondary school students across the country to register for the ‘GROW 2 CEO’ competition before the registration deadline of March 14.

GROW 2 CEO combines food growing and entrepreneurship to inspire students to grow their own food, create a soup recipe using what they have grown, and develop a potential new business.

Free growing kits will be delivered to all of the students who have registered for the competition. The kits will include everything the students need to grow rocket leaves including the seeds, pots and soil, plenty of expert tips from GIY, and lots of support from Cully & Sully. Students are asked to pair up to undertake the challenge.

Throughout the ‘GROW 2 CEO’ competition, students will be allocated a series of challenges. In the final phase, they will be asked to enter the details of their new recipes and business plans for the judging phase. Five student teams will then be selected for the competition shortlist. These finalists will be invited to a Dragon’s Den style pitch scenario at the home of GIY, GROW HQ in Waterford on May 18, where the winning duo will be selected and crowned GROW 2 CEO champions.

Speaking ahead of the upcoming competition deadline, Shona Dubois of GIY said: “This is a really fantastic and fun food entrepreneurship competition, which will potentially result in finding the country’s next brilliant food enterprise. We’re excited to get as many secondary schools from all across the country on board so we’re encouraging all of those interested to ensure to get their application into us before March 14, 2018.”

Challenges will kick off on April 9. The ‘GROW 2 CEO’ grand final will take place on May 18. The winning students will be awarded a prize pot of €5,000 - which includes a €3,000 food garden for their school, 2 iPads for the winning team of two students, and an overnight trip to Ballymaloe for the winning teacher.